L.A. Spotlight: Douyé

After two successful and well-received classic R&B CDs, singer Douye’ is on a career path that has taken an unexpected but ultimately logical turn. Douye’ (pronounced Doe-Yay) has re-emerged as a very talented jazz singer on her impressive new recording “Daddy Said So”. It may seem as if this is a radical change but, as Douye’ explains, it is actually a return to her roots.

“Jazz was the first music that I ever heard. It was introduced to me by my Dad who always played jazz around the house. He regularly sat me down and told me to listen closely to the music, that jazz was life.” Her beloved father passed away when she was 11. “The last time I saw him, he was at the hospital, had me driven in, and he told me that he wanted me to promise him something. He wanted me to promise him that I would sing jazz after I became a woman. Years passed, life went on, and I became involved in performing and recording R&B. But when I was completing the second CD in 2013, I kept on thinking about my last conversation with my Dad. It was as if he was reminding me about my promise.”

Douye’ has since worked very hard at finding her own place in the jazz world. Rather than merely copying the great jazz singers of the past, she was determined to study hard, learn a countless number of songs, and sing jazz in her own way. She paid close attention to the reactions of the audience and the musicians when she appeared at jazz jams at the World Stage in Los Angeles. “If I did not sound any good, they would certainly tell me! I gained the courage to give it a real try after getting some confirmation from the jazz crowd that I could do this.”

“Daddy Said So” features Douye’ singing a set of classic jazz standards. Her voice is attractive, warm, quietly emotional, has a solid sense of swing, and she clearly has a deep understanding of the lyrics. It is a very impressive jazz debut for the up-and-coming singer.